2nd round pick is going in the wrong direction in the NSH deal. TOR doesn't get the better players and the pick.

I could see the CGY trade being reasonable on both sides, granted no other team offers up a 1st for Tanev. NYR trade doesn’t really make sense in my opinion from the Leafs standpoint, I get Bertuzzi is having a down-year but if he starts to finish it’ll be crucial come playoff-time; the man is gifted at generating high-danger chances. I like acquriing Carrier, if you could do so without giving up Liljegren.

Is Benoit guaranteed a spot?

I know he looks real good in comparison to his weak defensive corps mates, but the guy is on pace for 6 pts over 80 games (with 3 in 40), I dont know in that system how someone can be so weak on that side of the puck and still be guaranteed a spot.

You may be right about Benoit. But if the Leafs have such a weak defensive corps, why do so many are so enamoured with the Flames top four Dmen?? Leafs and Flames have the same GAA.

Oh, I don't disagree. Not a huge fan of over investing in Tanev, and if Hanifan and Tanev go they have Oesterle, Kylington as UFAs and only Weegar and Andersson.

But I just dont get the huge over infatuation with Benoit. I like him and I'd resign him in Toronto to pair with Niemala or an offensive RD, but his pure lack of ANY offensive production really stands against him as a full time/long time solution. (and this year isnt the anomaly, he has never produced, and for a non-goon player, it is shocking)

You probably inadvertently answered the question.

Benoit is exactly the type of player Treliving loves. Analytically right now he's literally the best defensive D in the league and the worst offensive D in the league. But he's big, clears the front of the net and hits. If you go back to Tre's first press conference he's exactly what he said he wanted to add on the backend. Also McCabe has been back to playing like a #3 with Benoit. So I don't see him moving.

This is just massively undervaluing Liligren. The pick is going the right way at most the Leafs would add a late pick to balance this out but NSH is getting two young pending RFAs and the Leafs are getting two older UFAs.

I like him and would definitely resign him, but Treliving signed Klingberg because the absence of offense on the blueline besides Reilly.

I like Benoit, and he plays a needed role, but its so limited on the other side of the ice that he is a placeholder.

1. The age gap between all of these players is at max 3 years (Trenin and Liligren), and while Carrier and Trenin are both going to be UFA's, that still doesn't mean that they aren't the better players in this exchange. NSH sending a 2nd round pick here is the equivalent of both teams agreeing that NSH is, in all situations, getting the better players in the deal and that NSH is buying, not the other way around. If the players TOR has are that good, then just keep them and NSH will trade with other teams.

2. I'm not discounting the potential ceiling of Liligren, because its obvious he has a skill set that NSH would like, especially on the right side, but he is not better than Carrier is right now. Carrier is one NSH's top shutdown D right now and regularly gets some of the toughest assignments of the defensive pairs so that Josi and Fabbro/Barrie can be used offensively, and its the reason that he is likely to get traded. Liligren, while good, is just not that and that is primarily due to the fact that he has been sheltered in TOR's system. Carrier is playing better than Liligren, and doing it with more difficult assignments as well.

Carrier - https://twitter.com/ARHockeyStats/status/1759292363392872887/photo/1

Liligren - https://twitter.com/ARHockeyStats/status/1745565190203097158/photo/1

I get the argument but from the same analytics you just shared Lili is doing great in minutes against mid level competition. He's still younger than Carrier was in his rookie season. There is no way Carrier has higher value.